Paperboy
The first time we came to Austin was over a Memorial Day weekend. My dad and sister tagged along to help us apartment hunt and get to know our new home. I wanted the weekend to be filled with delicious food - so I hopped on Resy and OpenTable to find some great reservations for us. We were spending that entire Saturday apartment hunting, so I really wanted to make sure we had a great breakfast. We stayed downtown, so I also wanted to find something relatively close. When Paperboy popped up, it was 2 minutes from our hotel and had amazing reviews. Sold!
What I didn’t know is that I was about to have some of the best breakfast food I’ve ever had (and still think about).
We all ordered something different and tried a bite of everything!
My sister ordered this insane French Toast that had mascarpone and ganache. It was some of the best I’ve ever had. I swear her eyes got 3x bigger when they put this down in front of her.
My dad is always a sucker for a classic bacon, egg, and cheese. He definitely passed that down to me, too.
The bun was fresh, the potatoes were crispy and well-seasoned. Everything about this classic BEC was amazing. As simple as it is, I always appreciate when restaurants include a small side of greens for heavier savory dishes. I didn’t always know the purpose - but as I got older, I found myself reaching for something fresh and green in between bites of potatoes and sandwich. Just a nice little side note.
Justin ordered the fried chicken with biscuits and gravy. Which…come on.
As southerners, we take our friend chicken very seriously. We also take our biscuits and gravy VERY seriously. Paperboy’s version definitely didn’t disappoint. The chicken was crispy, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. It was a great combination with the gravy and flaky biscuit.
I save the best for last! Two words: Cinnamon Toast.
This is an absolute must order in my opinion! I ordered this with a side of breakfast potatoes for a sweet + savory start to the day. We all agreed that this toast specifically was one of the best bites of food any of us had ever had. It was perfectly balanced with the crunch of the toast, sweetness of the cinnamon, tanginess of the mascarpone, and then this delicious topping of walnut streusel. Holy cow. Just get there and order it - you’ll thank me later!
Needless to say…we were full. My dad also ordered a blueberry muffin and said it was delicious. My sister also tried the cheddar hashbrown - which is a must if you love cheese and potatoes. Which, who doesn’t? Since we were there for breakfast/brunch we ordered some fabulous coffee. Justin and I both ordered the Lil Billy which was the perfect pick-me-up to get us ready for our long day. We didn’t order any cocktails, but the tables around us did, and they all looked amazing!
You can visit Paperboy for breakfast, lunch, or weekend brunch at E 11th street. One of my favorite things about this part of town is grabbing food and then exploring all of the great local shops here. If the weather is nice, you can grab a coffee to-go and stroll through the neighborhood. You can make reservations for Paperboy on the OpenTable app.
If you go, please let me know what you think. I promise you won’t be disappointed. I’m really looking forward to getting back and trying one of their cocktails and also their lunch menu.
Cheers! XO Mara